Bottle feeder



Feb. 13, 1951 A. R. SILVA 2,541,300 BOTTLE FEEDER Filed Feb. 24, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Q O 3, Il 4 5, 2

A. R. SILVA BOTTLE FEEDER Feb. 13, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 24, 1948 JNVENTOR. Aww/vr P. .iA/.v4

Feb. 13, 195i A. R. SILVA 2,541,309

BOTTLE FEEDER Filed Feb. 24, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet. 3

BY yvyaN/m A. R. SILVA BOTTLE FEEDER Feb. 13, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Feb. 24, 1948 INVENTOR.

' Afvrf/a/vy 2. ./L v4 mme/vir f irregular array from an auxiliary feeder.

of opposed feed belts are disposed above the disk the disk into a 's ingleiile discharge. servesupply of bottles is for-med and maintained Patented Feb. 13, 1951 UNITED srArEs-.PATEN BOTTLE FEEDER Anthony R. Silva, San Jose, Calif# t Application February 24,194s,serialNo.1o,'as2. (cl. 19e-so) 'TQ-1,11" if 11 Claims. l

The pres-'ent invention relates tofeeders for l bottles and the like articles and is concerned more particularly with the provision of a feeder adapted to receive an irregular array or group of bottles and to arrange and discharge the bottles as a.

single le.

It is a general object of `the invention to pro- 4 vide an improved feeder for bottles of the 'character. employed in connection with filling machines and other equipment where a single file of bottles is required. s

A further object of the invention is to provide va bottle feeder of the above character which is reliable in its operation and `which will keep breakage of bottles at a minimum. Another object of the invention is to provide .feeders of the above character in which a continuous file of bottles is maintained at the discharge without gaps so that the equipment being supplied will always have the required number of bottles for operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a feeder of the above character which can be readily adapted for operation with different sizes of bottles. L

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of certain preferred embodiments thereof, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a planview of a bottle feeder em-f.v

ploying the invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the feeder as indicated by the arrow 2 in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side elevational View of the feeder as indicated by the arrow 3 in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a vfragmentary plan View similar to Figure 1 but illustrating another condition in the 1" operation ofthe feeders.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary plan view of a modi-,. 5' fied form of the bottle feeder.

by means of a verticaldrive lshaft I2 suitably journalled on -the frame. The drive shaft |2 {is connected through suitable-bevel gearing I3 and a-chain and sprocket drive I4 with a drivemotor |6 which may be of lthe variable speed type if desired. The main feeddisk restsuponthe cross angles |0a at the top of the frame I0 and `in general is divided -into afeeding-zone A for irregularly arranged bottles and a discharge-zone ;'B-for bottles which have been arranged in single The discharge zone B is defined by respec- 1 tive conveyors and I8 mounted above the disk H and providing a discharge path in which the disk is traveling to effect a feed and control of thebottles for reliable continuous single-file discharge as will be described hereinafter.

and sprocket drive 2'| to the main drive shaft l2 so that the auxiliary feed disk 2| is driven at a relatively lower speed than the main disk Il.

- In this way as bottles -slide oif of the auxiliary disk 2| onto the disk they are quickly carried out of the way of any succeeding bottles being fed from the auxiliary disk.

To guide and control the flow of bottles on the auxiliary disk- 2| and the main feed disk Il, an arcuate guide rail 3| 4is mounted on the frame extension 22 and extends about a portion of the feed disk 2|. The guiderail 3| is joined at one end to the V-shaped end of a rail 3.2 which extends inwardly to the center of the Land Figure 6 is' arfragmentary sideelevational view In general the bottle feeder of the instant invention is in the form of a'rotary main `feed disk to which bottles are'Y supplied in groups or in Apair to direct and guide the bottles asthey travel with Also a re,

which is immediately available to fill in gaps in the'discharge line.

vReferring to the drawings, the machine inf cludes a fabricated metal frame ID (Figures 1 td then outwardly of the disk 2| and generally arcuately out over the main disk Il. as an extension 32a which is connected by a bracket 33 to a frame part of the machine. It Will be seen that the f extension 32a of the guide rail 32 has its end portion opposed to a portion of the conveyor I1 land terminates adjacent the conveyor I8. VAt its other end, the, guide rail 3| vis connected to a generally V-s'haped guide rail 34 alsosuitably supported on the frame of the machine and serving to dene apart of the peripheral edge of both the auxiliary feed disk 2| and the main feed disk ll. If desired, also an auxiliary feed rail 38 may be provided extending substantially radially the bottles and to enable easy handling ci the cases during unloading.

The conveyor I'I is the main feed control?con-H veyor and is made up of a painof` vertically spaced belts trained about a set o'f" idler pulleys" and separated by a boss 42 of a support .bracket 4.3 for the conveyor I1. The pair of beltsA comprising the conveyor I1 are also* trained about respective '1' sets of: spacedY idler pulleys IUIE and'v 46' suitably iburnalled in bossesl of the bracket' and also about aset'of driving pulleys 41S' carried by'a shaft '48 jourlnalled in a boss dglof-the bracket 43. At fit's lower end the shaft 48- (Figure 2?) carries"y a drive' sprocket 5I'r engaged' by a drive chain 52 "f1 whibhli's trained about-a1 drivel sprocket 53" on the 'shaft |22.

The; auxiii'ai'y' feed control conveyor lai (Figures l. 21` and 3)v also comprises! aA pair ofvertica'llyv i spaced' beltstrained' about a set' of idler pulleys 56 earned byf a shafty 55 mounted at' 'diey end 'off a supportarm- 51 and a pair' of vdriving pulleys 58 Ycarriedl by a shaft. 59' journalled onv thej'fijaine and providing-'a pivotal mounting for the support' 60 at-its lower end which i's engaged by'th'e chain "525i adjustable idler' SprocketV 6T is also providedv furthe-chain. 52?'. The/arm 51 (FiguresZ j andi?) carries a depending bracket B2iy engaging asIOtt'ed'arm-GS carried' by thev frame IU- and' ad- Ajustably secure'd thereto' by-'a bolt` 64; By adjusting-thel conveyor I8 about its-y pivot' axis the relative-` spacing between the`V conveyor |18' and 'the discharge stretch ofI the conveyor I1 can be adjusted Adjacent' the end of the discharge path provided: bythe conveyors I1 and I8 anad'j'ustable stop-finger or arm 66' (Figures 1'-3 issecured by bolt 6'1" on the fra-me to engage the' endl bottie-of a Vfileof'bottl'esengaged with the conveyor -V Hi' tov prevent their discharge so that only the file of'v bottles engagedbyI the' conveyor I1? can be discharged over the ramp 6B onto.' the usual type 'ofT discharge conveyor 6'9.

It" will benoted that the1 conveyor I1 has its l stretch along thedischarge path travelingA in the same general direction' as the direction of travel i ofthe feed' disk II except' tha-tjthe' feedv disk II in this portion. of its path also"l provides. a conv 4 The row of bottles 1Ia engaged with the oeit IB provide an auxiliary source or supply of bottles so that if a gap occurs in the file of bottles 1I traveling along the conveyor I1, a bottle 1Ia is fed directly from the file of bottles 1IaI (as shown in Figure 4) to ll the gap in the file of bottles 1I. In this way a continuous single file discharge can be effected at a rate of feed sulciently high for the usualtypev of. filling and closing equipment.

It will be noted also that the conveyor I8 can be so adjusted with respect to the conveyor I1 to adjust the spacing therebetween to the diameter of bottle being used. The position of the conveyor ,ISJnay alsobe adjusted so that it will be slightly vfiexe'd by the bottle during operation as shown in Figure- Inlway the belt itself will tend to. movebottles from the position 1Ia into a vacant position in the file ofbottles 1 I.

. In the forni o f the invention shown in Figures 5 and' 61 the auxiliary4 feed. disk-2l' isr replaced' by an inclined ramp`^16which is supported' onf the Aframe ID with itsdischarge end-overlying the" disk 83. engaged with a cam 84 under the' influence of lveyorr I1;' Correspondingl'y; thel disk I Ii willV proi f. vide' a component of'travel ofthe'bottle's 1Ic'z engaged. with the conveyor I8 away from' this. conveyorf. It will also be noted. that'the conveyor I8 travelY of these bottles.

a spring. 86'. V

.through asprocketwheel 81 from thedriveofT the II. The side rails 11 of the' ramp 1B arez slotted to provide a guide fr a pusher-18. The ends. of the pusher I8 extend through thesl'ottedl side rails' 11' and are engaged' by" respective operating arms or bellcranks A'I9 pi'voted on a-sli'a'ft- 8F carried by suitable: brackets 82- oli" the frane At their inner ends' the' arms` 1'9" eaten, carry a roii'er The cams' ,84, i'n tum are driven machine so that the pusher' 18` is periodicallyreciprocated .andy thenallowed to: dwell ini its retracted position so that'lanother group' of bottles can. be deposited' on the ramp 1I;v for.' feeding',- to thei disk. I.. I.

I. claim.: l. In a feeder for bott1eS.a;nd-.the21ike,-.a. horizontally disposed rotatable. disk.; a pair. of' f`e'ed conveyors mounted. above saidl disk. in. spacedapart relationy to provide.: therebetween` a. space for a double row of' bottles, means for' driving saidy conveyors to.- provide opposite travel. off the opposed stretchesvthereofg. means for. driving-said disk to provide an outward component of' movementl to' bottles in said space andV a. component of: movement` toward saidlconveyor. stretch Inoving outwardly of said diskv and away' from the conveyor stretch moving. inwardly. of said disk, and a stop for a rowoi. bottles on.. said space engaged* with said inwardly moving stretch to prevent discharge thereof. from. saidV disk..

2. In a feeder for bottles and the like, a horizontally disposed. rotatable disk', a pair of: feed conveyors mounted. above. said disk in spacedapart relation to provide therebetween. aspace foif a double: row of. bottles: subject to. discharging movement from. said disk,. meansfor.' driving said. conveyors to provide; oppositetraveiof the' opposed stretches. thereof',4 andk a stopffor arrow-VA of bottles in said space engaged? with the conveyor stretch moving inwardly of. said disk to prevent discharge thereof' from" said disk..

3. In a feeder for' bottlesand the like, arota'table disk, a bottleA guidingk and? feeding` structure mounted above' said` disk to direct bottles depos- .70

me on said disk to a single- 'l'edsonarge path and' including a'j conveyor forming" one wall" ofv said' discharge path, said structureV also includingazsecondconveyor extending along said dis- 'zel to provide an auxiliaryfile of bottles parallel to a. ille of bottles moving along said path, and a stop for said auxiliary le of bottles.

4. In a feeder for bottles and the like, a rotatable disk, a bottle guiding and feeding structure mounted above said disk to direct bottles depos ited on said disk to a single le discharge path and including a conveyor forming one Wall of said discharge path, means for driving said con veyor to effect movement of bottles outwardly of said path, said structure also including a second conveyor extending along said discharge path and spaced from said first conveyor to provide an auxiliary file of bottles parallel to a file of bottles moving along said path, a stop for said auxiliary file of bottles, and means for driving said second conveyor oppositely to said vfirst conveyor and at a reduced speed therefrom.

5. In a feeder for bottles and the like, a rotatable disk, a bottle guiding and feeding structure mounted above said disk to direct bottles deposited on said disk to a single file discharge path and including a conveyor forming one wall of said discharge path, said structure also including a second conveyor extending along said discharge path and spaced from said first conveyor to provide an auxiliary le of bottles parallel to a le of bottles moving along said path, a stop for said auxiliary file of bottles, and feed means for delivering an array of bottles to said disk for controlled feeding by said bottle guiding and feeding structure.

6. In a feeder for bottles and the like, a horizontally disposed rotatable disk, a pair of feed conveyors mounted above said diskin spacedapart relation to provide therebetween a space for a double row of bottles, one of said conveyors being mounted for movement with respect to the other of said conveyors adjacent the periphery of said disk to vary said space, means for driving said conveyors to provide opposite travel of the opposed stretches thereof, means for driving said disk to provide an outward component of movement to bottles in said space and a component of movement toward said conveyor stretch moving outwardly of said disk and away from the conveyor stretch moving inwardly of said disk, and a stop for a row of bottles in said space engaged with said inwardly moving stretch to prevent discharge thereof from said disk.

7. In a feeder for bottles and the like, a horizontally disposed rotatable disk, a pair of feed conveyors mounted above said disk in spacedapart relation to provide therebetween a space for a double row of bottles, means for driving said conveyors to provide opposite travel of the opposed stretches thereof at a differential rate with the stretch moving in opposition to the movement of said disk travelling at a lower rate of speed than the other stretch, means for` driving said disk to provide an outward component of movement to bottles in said space anda component of movement toward said conveyor` stretch movlng outwardly of said disk and away from the conveyor stretch moving inwardly of said disk, and a stop for a row of bottles in said space engaged with said inwardly moving stretch to prevent discharge thereof from said disk.

8. In a feeder for bottles and the like, a horizontally-disposed rotatable disk, means for feeding bottles to said disk, a feed conveyor extending over; the disk to the central portion thereof and providing a conveyor stretch. travelling inwardly with respect to said disk and facing the portion thereof for receiving bottles and a discharge conveyor stretch travelling outwardly of the disk and defining one side margin of a single file discharge path for bottles, a control conveyor mounted adjacent one edge of said disk and having a control stretch spaced from said discharge conveyor stretch at a distance corresponding substantially to twice the diameter of a bottle, said respective feed and control conveyors providing a diverging entrance for bottles carried by said disk during rotation thereof, and said control conveyor stretch being disposed over a portion of the disk path in which the disk is moving away from the discharge end of the control conveyor stretch, a stop for a row of bottles engaged with said control conveyor, and means for driving said control conveyor to cause said stretch thereof to travel from the discharge toward the feed end of said discharge path.

9. In a feeder for bottles and the like, a horizontally disposed rotatable main disk, means for rotating said disk, a pair of feed conveyors mounted above said disk in spaced-apart relation to provide therebetween a space for a double row of bottles, means for driving said conveyors to provide opposite travel of the opposed stretches thereof, means including an auxiliary disk for feeding bottles to said first-named disk, means for rotating said auxiliary disk in a direction opposite to the rotation of said main disk, guide means related to said main disk to carry said bottles to the entrant opening of `said space, the rotation of said main disk providing an outward component of movement to bottles in said space and a component of movement toward said con- 1 veyor stretch moving outwardly of said main disk, and a stop for a row of bottles in said space engaged with said inwardly moving stretch to prevent discharge thereof from said main disk.

10. In a feeder for bottles and the like, a horizontally disposed conveying means, a pair of feed conveyors mounted above said conveying means in spaced apart relation to provide therebetween a space for a parallel double row of bottles subject to discharging movement from said conveying means, means for driving said conveyors to provide opposite travel of the opposedstretchcs thereof, and a stop for the row of bottles in said space engaged with the conveyor stretch moving inwardly of said conveying means to prevent discharge thereof from said conveying means.

l1. In a feeder for bottles and the like, conveying means, a bottle guiding and feeding structure mounted above said conveying means to direct the bottles deposited on said conveying means to a single file discharge path and including a rst conveyor forming one wall of said discharge path,`

said structure also including a second conveyor extending along said discharge path and spaced from said iirst conveyor to provide an auxiliary file of bottles parallel to the file of bottles moving along said path, and a stop for said auxiliary file of bottles.

ANTHONY R. SILVA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,510,097 Miller Sept. 30, 1924 2,047,106 Lidberg et a1 July '7, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 109,097 Australia Nov. 23, 1939 

